Lunch Box Ideas

New Babies Are On Their Way + Our Lunch Box Menu for March 7-13

March 6, 2014 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 7 Comments

Two very good friends announced this week that they are expecting! I am so, so very excited for them. These are moms who were pregnant around the same time I was carrying Little MrC. Our older kids are batch 1 of our barkada babies. Now, with the recent delivery of another good friend to her first baby boy, plus those two new ones on the way, batch 2 is officially here!

Part of me is starting to wonder if it’s time for us to have another kid. Believe me when I tell you that a lot of people have been telling us to go for it already, with my grandfather being the most persistent of all. I’m honestly not sure I’m ready for another baby just yet. I can barely make it through the day, drama-free, with my one little boy. Oh my gosh, the thought of having to get up at 5am to cook breakfast and baon while pregnant sounds a little wacko to me. But anyway, I am setting these baby thoughts aside for now to focus on baon, which is what this post is about, anyway.

Do you like this featured image? I’m not too sure about it just yet.

First, a few adjustments.

I never realized that I could use a WordPress plugin for my recipes until a couple of hours ago. Oh my gosh it makes life so much simpler! So instead of the downloadable PDF recipe, I will now have recipe cards in these cooking at home posts. Super bonus, there is a template that matches my blog look perfectly. It is so meant to be.

Also, last week I said I’d share more seafood recipes, with it being Lent and all. But alas, I realized yesterday that I rarely cook seafood, and already I shared the one fish dish I am confident about last week. So, sorry but this week’s featured recipe is a beef dish. And I promise to prepare more dishes that don’t contain any meat with feet in the coming days so that I will have something to share next week. Anyway for Lent, I am abstaining from meat with feet, so I really do have to figure out what I can cook anyway.

This week’s recipe.

On we go, here is my featured recipe for the week. It’s a beef tapa recipe that was sorta kinda based on my grandmother’s tapa. We can never get it exactly right though, because she buys a certain portion from a certain cut of meat from her one and only supplier, and that’s what makes all the difference. Me, though, I’m happy with any cut of good beef. Just make sure it’s sliced real thin, and there’s a little bit of fat in there.

This is a dry, sweet-salty tapa. I have yet to try making one that’s a little saucy, kinda like Tapa King. If you have a recipe for that kind of tapa, please share! I chose this recipe for the week coz my friend, Jane, requested for it. So yes, I do accept requests! Though it might be a wee bit ambitious right now, but I will definitely try to make whatever it is that you ask for.

Beef Tapa ala Mama

2014-03-05 18:18:32

A dry, salty beef tapa with a tiny hint of sweetness.

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Ingredients

1/2 kilo Top round beef, sliced super thin
1 tablespoon white sugar
1/2 tablespoon iodized salt
1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
Cooking oil for frying

Instructions

Wash the beef slices well to remove majority of the blood.
Combine the sugar and the salt and massage the mixture into the beef.
Add soy sauce for colour.
Marinade for at least an hour, but best if you could do this overnight
Fry each strip of beef until it is dark brown. Be careful not to burn this!

Notes

When choosing your beef, try to find a portion that has a strip of fat on one side.
Since the marinade used for this tapa is very basic, you will really need to find good beef, otherwise it won’t taste as good.
If you can’t find top round, tenderloin will do. Just make sure that it’s sliced thinly.

By MrsC

At Home With MrsC https://blissbysam.com/

Oh my gosh, isn’t that recipe card just PERFECT?!

Download time!

I don’t know if there’s a plugin for a downloadable menu plan or grocery list, but I don’t think I’ll go that far. So this week, you still get my boring old PDFs, but that’s okay, right?

Lunch Box Meal Plan for March 7-13

Grocery List for March 7-13

So, I just want to know if you’ve been able to try any of the recipes I’ve posted so far. I’d love feedback. My boys seem to think that everything I cook is delicious. A second opinion is definitely in order!

Lunch Box Menu for February 28 – March 6

February 27, 2014 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 12 Comments

I can’t believe that we are officially entering the last month of the school year! I just realized though that my baon packing days are continuing on til the summer because MrC will be needing sustenance at work. It’s easier with him, though, because I can pack him frozen meals that he can microwave at the office when lunch time rolls around. Anyway, I think I’m getting ahead of myself. Time to deal with the upcoming week first.

Lent is fast approaching and that means I am going to do my annual “no walking meat” panata (promise/commitment). So expect to see more Lent-friendly seafood recipes over the next few weeks. I’ll still be plotting meaty dishes into the meal plan for the boys, though, so those of you with carnivorous taste buds need not worry.

This week’s recipes

This week, I am featuring an easy Baked Fish in Garlic Butter with Dill recipe, which I’ve never posted before, and my super winner Chicken Adobo in it’s new downloadable PDF format. I’m also adding my ever-so reliable Banana Bread recipe, which isn’t exactly mine because I found it in a library book, but I can’t remember what book it was. Yes, I decided to share 3 recipes again this week. And I made sure to make them downloadable. Oh, I also added “branding” on my downloadable content heehee! I forgot to do that last week.

I also am doing a repeat performance of the Beef Salpicao I made last week. Like I said in my previous baon post, each batch of marinade and freeze meals that I do are good for two separate meals. If I don’t get to use them up, I’ll have a rerun week where I clean out the freezer and cook whatever’s there. So I’d rather mix one or two of last week’s dishes in with new stuff for the coming week. I think it’s more fun that way.

Since the baked fish isn’t something you can prepare ahead and freeze, I’m using an old photo of a batch I prepared for a Christmas gathering with friends last December. Sorry it’s kinda blurry. I’ve already put “A phone with a better camera for Instagramming” on my wishlist.

Here’s a tip. If you’re packing this for someone who has no access to a microwave, don’t the butter sauce into the lunchbox. The butter tends to solidify when cold, and unless your kid or spouse (or you) like chewing on butter chunks, it won’t be good. Trust me. The cooked fish will be flavorful even without the additional butter.

Grocery notes

The grocery list has everything you need for this week, but if like me, you still have things like sandwich crackers or cooking oil in stock, then you obviously don’t need to buy more. Also, I didn’t put any quantities per item coz it will really depend on how much food you need to prepare, and how many people you are cooking for. There are quantities for ingredients in the recipes, though, so you can do the necessary adjustments. I’m bad at math, so you might wanna just do the multiplying and dividing yourself.

Download away!

Here’s the menu plan for February 28 to March 6 . And here’s the matching grocery list . The recipe links are below:

Happy cooking and happy eating! Let me know which recipes you’ve tried, and which ones you like best.

Lunch Box Menu for February 20-27

February 19, 2014 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 27 Comments

My car is coded on Thursdays, which means I’m stuck in the Republic of Alabang. I’ve decided, therefore, that Thursdays will be my grocery day. However, this week, I did my shopping on a Wednesday. As in today. Yes, that’s how bad I am with schedules. But anyway, the important thing is that I’m all set for another week of lunchbox preps for the boys.

What’s new after the hiatus?

I stopped posting my weekly lunchbox menus because they were starting to get boring to write, and I thought they might have become boring to read, too. After thinking about how I could change it up, I’ve decided to post what’s on my food list for the coming week instead of what I prepared for the week that passed. That way, I can share my marinate and freeze recipes, too, or whatever recipe I would like to feature for the week. I like this because it will encourage me to actually get to work in the kitchen and not allow my lazy self to buy pre-marinated or frozen packaged meals. So yes, beginning today, the weekly lunch box menu plans are back!

BONUS: I’ve also decided to include a grocery list. My, my, I’m being ambitious, aren’t I? Well, let’s just hope that I keep on keeping on with this, at least until the end of the school year. Then I can tweak things again over the summer, in time for class resumption in June.

And there’s one final new thing about this weekly series. All menu plans and grocery lists are now gonna be downloadable in PDF format. Yay!

This week’s featured recipes

Yup, recipes. Plural. I really wanted this comeback to be major. And oh my goodness, I really hope I can keep doing this each week. Anyway, all recipes for this week are marinate and freeze ones. I like to prepare ahead in case I wake up late or just won’t function so early in the morning. These should all be marinated before they are frozen, as in right after you get home from the supermarket, if possible. Then you just transfer them from the freezer to the refrigerator before you go to bed so that they are nicely (and safely) thawed in the morning.

Recipe #1 is a Beef Salpicao dish based on one that I found in one of my many Yummy magazines. You will need:

1/4 kilo Beef tenderloin, cut into cubes
1.5 tbsp Minced garlic
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Black pepper
1.5 tbsp Olive oil
2.5 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp Light soy sauce
1 small can Button mushrooms
Salted butter
Toasted garlic to serve

Combine the garlic, salt, pepper, olive oil, Worcestershire sauce and light soy sauce, then pour over the beef tenderloin. Marinate for at least 30 minutes. Then saute the beef in butter, throw in some whole button mushrooms, and top the cooked salpicao with toasted garlic. Best served with steaming hot rice!

Recipe #2 is also based on a Yummy magazine find, and one that I’ve already written about before. Here’s what you need for this Rosemary Garlic Chicken:

1/2 kilo Chicken thigh or breast fillet
1 tbsp Soy sauce
1 tbsp Olive oil
1 tsp Garlic powder
1 tsp Thyme
1 tsp Rosemary
1/4 tsp Black pepper

Mix everything together, pour over the chicken and marinate for at least 30 minutes. Then you simply fry the chicken in a little bit of oil, and you’re done! This is good paired with mashed potatoes. I usually add a side of corn and carrots when I pack this for my boys’ lunches.

Recipe #3 is a quick and easy Fried Liempo dish. You need:

1/2 kilo Thinly sliced liempo
1/4 cup Soy sauce
1/8 cup Calamansi juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Just like the chicken, you just mix everything together and let it marinate for at least 30 minutes. Fry the pork in oil and serve with rice, ideally garlic rice, and atchara. Yum! For lunchbox purposes, I’ve paired this dish with sauteed pechay, so that it’s a little bit healthier.

Time to download!

You can download the lunchbox plan here and the grocery list here.

I usually split each of these recipes into two separate containers before freezing, since each batch is enough for two separate lunchbox days for the boys, with a little bit left over for my lunch at home. That way, I can opt to thaw only what I need for the day. So in case you aren’t feeding that many people, you might want to do the same, too.

Oh, and if you don’t pack lunch for anyone, you can actually still use this meal plan at home.

What’s cooking in your kitchen?

Baon Plan # 5 Plus a Recipe for Lazy Pizza Grilled Cheese

July 31, 2013 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 12 Comments

Woohoo for a whole successful month of packing recess and lunch for my son! We move on to month two now, and I’m pleased to say that this early morning cooking task is easier to do and feels more natural now. I love it, I am making progress!

I found out from my son that some of his classmates pack hotdogs and spam with rice for lunch. One of his classmates even has McDonalds almost every day! I now feel so proud of myself for really making an effort to prepare freshly cooked healthy meals for my little boy each and every day. I’m also super proud of MrC for stepping in for me on days when I couldn’t be in the kitchen, like during Week 4 when I was sick. Teamwork and cooperation is key!

So, here’s what we prepared on Week 5.

MONDAY
Breakfast: Crumpy sandwich -(Crumpy is one of our fave sandwich spreads! Yum!)
Recess: Pomelo (Dad’s pasalubong straight from Davao.)
Lunch: Baked pork ribs (Leftover from dinner prepared by Lola.)

Baon Plan #4 – Sick Week

July 26, 2013 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 1 Comment

If last week’s lunch box plan was loaded with photos, this week I only have one. I have a good reason why though! At the beginning of the week, I cooked up a lot of the food that I had previously kept in the freezer. And then, towards the end of the week I got sick and MrC had to take over my kitchen duties. Excuses, excuses? Lol!

Another thing, I discovered in the previous week that my son’s recess and lunch times are close together. This means that when I pack a heavy snack for him, he usually fails to finish his lunch. This being so, I’ve decided to just pack him fruits for recess. It’s also nutrition month, and the school is encouraging the kids to pack fruits and veggies as snacks, so this particular week was a good time to start on a new fruit-snacking habit.

Here’s what we prepared on the second week of July.

MONDAY
Breakfast: Tuna and cheese sandwiches
Recess: Banana
Lunch: Rosemary Chicken and cheesy potatoes

TUESDAY
Breakfast: French Toast
Recess: Banana
Lunch: Daing na bangus

WEDNESDAY
Breakfast: Cereal and milk
Recess: Apple slices
Lunch: Meatballs in tomato sauce and boiled carrots

Packed lunches. One for my sister and one for my son.

THURSDAY (Which was the first day that MrC took over for me)
Breakfast: Cereal and milk
Recess: Apple slices
Lunch: Chicken nuggets and boiled carrots

FRIDAY
Breakfast: Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
Recess: Apple slices
Lunch: Tocino and scrambled egg

Sorry this week’s post is delayed. It’s been an insane work week for me. In fact, it’s only 8pm and I’m already very sleepy. We’ve got The WAHMeo Workshop with Manila Workshops tomorrow, so it’s gonna be a big day. I should probably get to bed now. Haha!

Hope you’re looking forward to next week’s baon plan!

Baon Plan #3 Plus a Recipe for Italian Meatballs

July 16, 2013 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan Leave a Comment

I’m back with another baon plan, and this time I’m armed with more photos! Woohoo! So far I’ve been getting a lot of positive feedback about the lunchbox meal plans I’ve been sharing, and because of this I really want to make an effort for this to become a regular thing on this blog. So thank you to you guys who actually read and comment and tell me that you like my food ideas. It means a lot, specially since I really am a newbie at this.

Okay, here’s what was on the baon menu on our third week of school, July week 1.

MONDAY
Breakfast: Oatmeal
Snack: Cereal and yogurt
Lunch: Pork adobo (the one that I marinated and froze)

Baon-1 — Let this baggie thaw in the refrigerator overnight

Baon-2 — Pick out the cloves of garlic coz you’ll wanna brown these in oil first before you throw everything else into the pot.

Baon-3 — Once the garlic has browned nicely, brown the meat then throw in the sauce and everything else that’s in the baggie and boil until the sauce is nice and thick.

TUESDAY
Breakfast: Cereal and milk
Snack: Cheese muffin and peanut butter oatmeal bar (Recipe here. Made from Monday’s leftover cooked oats.)
Lunch: Chicken fingers

Cheesy Chicken Fingers from the Magnolia Chicken Station

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bar fresh from the oven

WEDNESDAY
Breakfast: Ham & cheese sandwich
Snack: Peanut butter oatmeal bar and banana
Lunch: Beef tapa and scrambled egg

Got this Beef Tapa recipe from my cousin

THURSDAY
Breakfast: Pancakes
Snack: Cereal and yogurt
Lunch: Minute steak and garlic butter sayote

My mom made the minute steak, I cooked the sayote

FRIDAY
Breakfast: Grilled PB&J
Snack: Cheese muffin and cracker sandwich
Lunch: Italian meatballs (Recipe here)

Baon-9 — I’d never made meatballs before, and it was much easier than I thought it would be. You just dump everything into a bowl and mix well.

Baon-10 — Then you shape everything into little balls and bake or fry. This is 1kg worth of beef meatballs.

I still have one container of meatballs in the freezer and I’m going to add them to my spaghetti sauce one of these days. Yum!

Next week’s meal plan is interesting because it’s from the week that I was sick. Half the time it was MrC doing the early morning cooking, so that next meal plan is something that anyone can do.